Dental implants are used to replace lost natural teeth. The implants have root structures that are attached to the jaw bone. The root structures are made of metal and acrylic materials. These materials, being relatively rigid, do not have elasticity to minimize forces on the bone and provide the implant with yielding characteristics similar to a natural tooth.
Natural teeth have biomechanical toleration and dissipation of occlusional forces. The teeth have limited movement and return to their original positions after being subjected to a force, as chewing or mastication pressure.
Carbonaceous dental implants have been proposed to approximate the modulus of elasticity of natural bone to deal with the problems of stress concentration at the bone prothesis interface. Porous polymeric material has also been proposed to serve as an artificial periodontal ligament which allows attachment of the material to bone tissue through natural tissue growth.
Dental implants are susceptible to bacterial infection of the tissue surrounding the implant. Infection in gum tissue around the base of the crown can destroy the effective use and life of the implant. Persistent infections may result in the removal of the implant.